I received my April issue of MAGIC today, and while I have not yet sat down to read it, I know what I will be turning to first: Mike Caveneys Classic Correspondence. I am really enjoying these articles from Caveney and hope they continue (goodness knows he has a lot of material in the Egyptian Hall Museum from which to mine these great treasures).

But that got me to thinking about what I turn to first in the magazines I receive. Before Caveneys column, it was Mike Closes reviews that I turned to first in MAGIC. I next go to the Magic Update section. Today, the reviews are third in line.

In the new MUM, which I just started receiving again after about two decades of not being a member of the SAM, its Harry Andersons column to which I first turn. Then its the reviews, which is edited by my friend Richard Hatch.

As for Genii, it is still The Genii Speaks that I go to first. Then its Max Mavens Inquisition. Next I go check the reviews in Light From the Lamp (and yes, Im just narcissistic enough to read my own column). Then it depends on the feature; I might go there before going to Magicana.

I get only two magazines (sorry Richard! I don't have the room to collect magazines, which I would inevitably do if I subscribed to Genii), Magicol and The Magic Circular - and that's only because I'm a member of the Magic Collectors' Association and The Magic Circle.

Because the content of Magicol varies, there is no particular thing to look for. For The Magic Circular, it's Eddie Dawes' column, A Rich Cabinet of Magical Curiosities. But then again, I am more of a history buff than a performer.

The general word from members of TMC is that Matt Field has done an excellent job in his new role as editor of The Magic Circular, quite a feat when one considers that he is a Yank editing a distinctly British magazine. And I can add that many of the readers of the Circular are not easy to satisfy!

For Genii, it's Genii Speaks, On the Slant, Al Cohen, all the reviews, and then all the ads.

For Magic Mag, it's Magic Update, Joshua Jay, and then the ads. Mike Close reviews used to be my favorite piece in any magazine. Since he left I hardly read the reviews in Magic magazine. The problem is not the reviewers per sec but the pool of them is becoming too large and I can't get a consistent fix.

For MUM--Thank god for John Moehring.--President's Page, Barrie Richardson, Norman Beck, Harry Anderson. The product reviews have the same problem as Magic Mag.

For TLR--Kudo's for going all glossy but it needs some revisions to bring it up to the level of the above three.

I know this is going to make me sound like a child, but whenever I get a new magic magazine I flip through the ads first. I like to read about the cool new toys that are available to me, and I like to read the description and try and figure out the method. As well, sometimes the ads can give me a presentational idea, which is something I am always looking for.After that, if I'm reading Genii I head to the reviews, hoping it's a Jamy Ian Swiss month. (No offence to the other reviewers, but I love it when Mr. Swiss gets on his soapbox. I consider it a let down if he enjoys every book he reviews on any given month.)After that, I start at the beginning and work my way to the back, re-reading all the ads and the reviews.

Originally posted by Richard Kaufman: Don't any of you guys read the features?

That's primarily what I enjoy reading most, especially the historical pieces. David Acer's great take on Magicana also makes the decision to renew my subscription an easy one. I also find the columns to be generally excellent, especially those by Bob Farmer and Jon R.

The reviews (especially the book reviews) are always fun to read (though Jamy's longer ones could use the gentle touch of an editors hand at times). I leave the ads and filler like Maven's Inquisition and the comic strip (while sometimes cute) for last generally.

I buy/read Magic sporadically and think it's a fine magazine overall, but the loss of Close and Steinmeyer has really curtailed my enjoyment of it. I'm not fond of their new lineup of reviewers, finding them less interesting that what Genii has. Josh Jay does excellent work in his Talk About Tricks column.

Even though Genii recently had a tiny bit of a price hike, I consider it to be one of the best bargains in magic and I tend to wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who might ask.

For Genii: (Every month) I read Genii Speaks, first. It's a clever idea: an overview of the magazine, recent magic news, and RK holding forth on a variety of topics, all smushed together.

Then it's a pretty linear progression, unless there is a particularly urgent signpost somewhere in Genii Speaks.

Love the Inquisition. I NEVER play it the way the way the format suggests. I check to see what topic Max is "fugueing" on this month by reading the answer column first, then see if I can guess the questions. Much more entertaining. Maybe indicative of too much Jeopardy in my youth....

I DO sometimes read the features first. But that's entirely dependent on the topics. Stuff I'm passionate about I read right away. Everything else is...eventually.

Magic (Every month) It's getting prettier and more jittery by the minute. It's like an art director has trumped an editor. Magic is a front to back, cover to cover read with skips where skips are warranted by my interest.

TLR (Every month) I'm stuggling to maintain interest. Usually here, it's ring reports I care about first, then a perusal for anything else that looks likely. I enjoy and seek out some of the odd columns/features: "From the Table of My Memory", the blessed Poinc's column, and "Our Side of the Pond." Some issues, the best thing in the magazine was written by a dead guy.

Magicol (intermittantly)- Cover to cover read. Usually one sitting. Then I spend a couple of additional hours rummaging through other books and magazines that reading Magicol has sparked....

Channel One- (intermittantly) After a quick flip through, usually cover to cover, front to back. If I see something that looks particularly outrageous on the flip through, I read that first. Then wonder who thinks up this stuff, and where, outside The J. Stewart Show or The Onion, I can find more....

Antinomy- (every issue) Racherbaumer and Swiss first, usually, followed by the editor's notes, then the rest of the contents in order of my interest.

Originally posted by DustinStinett:In the new MUM, which I just started receiving again after about two decades of not being a member of the SAM, its Harry Andersons column to which I first turn. Then its the reviews, which is edited by my friend Richard Hatch.

Dustin

Have to agree with you here Dustin. This (Harry Anderson's column) is the first thing I read before all other Magazines every month.

I always read the issue backwards first... It causes me to pay attention the what stands out.... If I "read" it from front to back, my subconcious takes over... If this was the only newspaper or magazine I received, it wouldn't be an issue, but since I receive 20+ publications a month (that I initiated), I have to chose to some extent.... Backwards to forwards, weeds out the fluff since the editor has it set up to appease all its advertisers and what it believes it core readers to be.....